Thank you to Ray and Ed for your editing.
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As the sun peeked over the horizon, Marla stirred awakened from her slumber. She was ready to start her day and felt the anticipation each new school year brings. Marla loved teaching her second graders and was looking forward to her 10th year at Parkhill Elementary. The cheerful green eyed brunette was popular with her young students, working tirelessly while encouraging them to learn.
Getting out of bed, she gave her back and arms a good stretch. Marla had found an unsettling piece of mail waiting for her last night, after noticing the return address, and reading the envelope; a sick feeling began gnawing at her stomach. Knowing she needed a night's sleep, she decided not to open the envelope.
Instead pouring herself a glass of red wine to settle her nerves and drinking it quickly was all she could think to do. Having fallen asleep knowing the mysterious envelope awaited her, her back tightened under the mental stress, something that not even the wine could prevent.
She had tried to shrug off the bad feelings she had about the envelope, but was pretty certain who had sent it to her. Wanting to delay opening the letter, she walked to the bathroom beginning her morning ritual of a nice long shower. Marla closed her eyes allowing her head to fall back breathing in the steam, while enjoying the feeling of hot water cascading through her wavy shoulder length hair and down her back.
She lathered and scrubbed her sensuous body using her favorite lemon scented body wash, pausing to take in a deep breath, then exhaling slowly; trying to calm her mind. As hard as she desperately tried to push the terrible memories from her mind they kept flashing back randomly.
In an attempt at distraction Marla gave her boobs special attention while showering. Staring at her naked boobs, nipples hard from her recent attention, a familiar tingle began forming in her pussy, as she was becoming aroused. Marla struggled with these feelings; not understanding why gazing at her own naked body would cause her to become so aroused. Knowing she had a big day ahead of her, Marla reluctantly pushed these thoughts from her mind.
Finishing her shower, she stepped out onto the bath mat and toweled herself off. Giving the mirror a quick wipe to clean off the steam, she stared at her reflection. Seeing two big emerald green eyes, full kissable lips capped with beautiful straight white teeth, she tried to smile back at her reflection, but tears filled her eyes as her body began to shiver.
Her shoulders shook as tears began to run down her cheeks, a couple of salty droplets finding their way down her lips and into her mouth. Marla haphazardly dabbed at her eyes with a tissue while grabbing her bathrobe, and trying her best to stop crying.
The envelope's return address demanded her attention; "Oakridge Psychiatric Hospital". Seeing that, she immediately knew who had sent it. She took note that it was postmarked two-weeks prior. Her heart raced while her knees started to buckle beneath her trim, toned and seductively curvy 140-pound body.
Unable to stand, she had collapsed onto her black leather sofa, as she stared at the hand-drawn red heart on the back of the envelope. Afterwards, regaining her composure, she had tossed the unopened envelope on the kitchen counter. That was last night, and it was no wonder that she woke up with the effects of mental stress coursing through her sore back.
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Marla made her way down the hallway, entering her kitchen she reached over and turned on the coffee pot. Grabbing the envelope off the kitchen counter she made her way into the living room sitting down on her sofa and folding her slim legs beneath her, she ripped open the unwanted mail, careful to leave the return address intact.
Pulling out the single sheet of white paper and unfolding it, Marla began to read, "Marla, I'm being released! We need to clear things up in our relationship! You still belong to me!" Feeling sick she threw the sheet of paper down on her living room floor.
Marla barely made it to the toilet before the bile rose from her stomach, spitting, she felt her body racked by two dry heaves as she lay on the cool tile. Tears started to stream down her cheeks and she caught a taste of their saltiness. Standing, Marla grabbed a wash cloth and after running cold water on it gently wiped her face.
"What am I going to do? How could he have found my address?"
Marla thought back to how it had all began, almost ten years ago. She couldn't help but think if she hadn't taken the short cut through the creek bed on that beautiful spring day this would have never happened. Even after a couple of years of counseling, Marla still blamed herself.
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It had been a warm spring day that fateful Saturday. Marla was making her way to the elementary school to prepare an Easter display for her second grade class. Wanting to get an early start, she had headed out while the small town was still quiet. Walking along early on a Saturday morning, it seemed to her that most people were sleeping in and enjoying a lazy weekend morning. She watched a tabby cat make its way across the quiet road ahead of her, stopping momentarily to give Marla a curious look.
Walking along the quiet street and taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air, Marla could not stop thinking about a nightmare she had the previous night. Her dream had centered on a vehicle following slowly behind her as she walked along a lonely country road. In her dream, she turned to watch the vehicle, and as it drove by her slowly, a person wearing a rat mask peered out at her through the windshield. Frightened, she had woken up and found herself sweating heavily onto her satin pillow case. A shiver ran down her spine and her body trembled.